Definition
A famous Chinese fable idiom (守株待兔). In Xianxia strategy, it describes the tactic of predicting your opponent’s essential destination and setting an ambush there, turning patience into a weapon.
waiting by the tree, watching for the rabbit
A famous Chinese fable idiom (守株待兔). In Xianxia strategy, it describes the tactic of predicting your opponent’s essential destination and setting an ambush there, turning patience into a weapon.
Story context
The chapter dives straight into the tactical nightmare that awaits our crew: the Immortal manor’s native demon tribes have closed in like a vice. Xiangliu Fang drops the bad news—two elite forces, the Wavefiend Demon-Soldiers and the Yaksha Dao-Soldiers, each over ten thousand strong, led by Loose Immortals. Our boy Shaoyan Nong has a clever trick up his sleeve (teleporting via the refined hall to appear thousands of li away), but he knows it’s a one-shot gambit. Once the demons figure out the manor’s secret, they’ll just set up camp at the unrefined halls and wait. It’s a classic Xianxia stalemate: the demons are playing the ultimate “waiting by the tree” game, and our heroes have no choice but to walk right into the trap. The crew manages to slip into a second hall—the Herb Hall—but the loot is a mixed blessing. Xiangliu Fang, in true Fiendgod fashion, scoops up the eighteen best Immortal herbs before anyone can blink, leaving the rest for the scrambling juniors. Pressure is building.
Why it matters
This is a setup chapter, but don’t sleep on it. The tension isn’t in big explosions—it’s in the quiet dread of knowing your next move is predicted. The demons aren't stupid; they adapt instantly. That’s what makes this arc compelling: the antagonists have brains, and they’ve been desperate for escape for millennia. Every move Shaoyan Nong makes is one step closer to a brutal, unavoidable confrontation. Pay attention to how the loot is distributed—Xiangliu Fang’s greed hints at his independent agenda, and the juniors (Ji Ning, Northson, Xue Hongyi) are clearly playing second fiddle in the treasure race. Also, note that the crew is now effectively trapped: three halls down, two to go, and those two are fortified. The chapter’s quiet ending, with Shaoyan Nong calmly declaring “On to the next hall,” is the calm before the storm.
Quick facts
Source novel
Desolate Era
First appearance
Pillars Trapped and a Garden Plundered
Chapter references
1
Type hints
desolate era, chapter 266, immortal manor treasure hall
Guide tags
Desolate Era, Xianxia, Chapter Recap
Appears in chapters
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